Edd Goes Rogue
by SockHead660
Summary: Double D has had it with Eddy's greed interfering with the quality of his creations. After yet another failed scam, he sets off on his own, enlisting some unexpected help.
1. Edd Goes Rogue

Double D watched Jonny stumble around the obstacle course with a slingshot, wearing the giant goggles that were handed to him under the promise of being a 'True Virtual Reality Experience.'

He sighed to himself. The goggles were just a pair of binoculars that were sawed in half with a clear green film over the empty lense-holes, because Eddy insisted that it made the goggles look 'high-tech'. Ridiculous. This was almost as embarrassing as the tacos Eddy tried to sell made out of paper plates, grass and crayon shavings. Just about as creative, too.

These scams never worked. Double D was growing tired of rushing these half-cocked designs to fuel Eddy's need to make a score. It also irked him to watch Ed to be used so frequently as a blunt instrument. Ed's current assignment was to jump out at Jonny while dressed as an alien, prompting Jonny to shoot him with the slingshot.

"YEE-HAW," Jonny shouted, as he pelted poor Ed directly in the forehead with a rock. Eddy laughed in the distance. The wonders of virtual reality.

Double D loitered by the money jar, resting his head on his palm, waiting for more customers, or as Eddy liked to call them, suckers. They'd been at it for hours and had only gathered fifty cents, which seemed to clearly show that the neighborhood kids were wise to Eddy's tricks by now.

Just then, Kevin rolled up on his bike with a handful of quarters. Double D perked up. He couldn't place a finger on what the feeling was exactly, but his mood always seemed to improve whenever Kevin was nearby.

"What's up, double-dork?" Kevin asked.

"Not much at all, my fine fellow!" he replied with as much false enthusiasm and bravado as he could muster. "Merely a sophisticated demonstration of the latest in virtual-reality technology! Once you don these goggles, you'll be transported to an arena of the stars, pitted against a vicious alien beast in mortal combat! Armed with your trusty—"

"How much does it cost, dude?" Kevin interrupted as he inspected the goggles with a raised eyebrow. "I've got some time to kill before chores."

Double D choked, taken aback by the response. Kevin always managed to make life seem simple; it's why the other kids in the cul de sac called him "cool." He felt a bit of envy, there.

"25 cents, huh?" Kevin asked, after looking at the poorly spelled label on the jar that Ed made.

"That's correct, sir!" Double D replied. In the background, Jonny hit Ed with another rock, causing him to scream.

"Seems like my kind of party," Kevin said. "I'll pay triple to shoot Eddy."

"Well—Uh, that could be arranged perhaps—"

"YOU GOT IT, KEVIN!" Eddy shouted as he burst out of the obstacle course. Anything for a nickel, Double D thought to himself.

~Later~

Moments later, Edd found himself nervously fastening the shoddy goggles to Kevin's head. Strange as it may seem, he thought, Kevin smells nice. Something like... baked goods? Odd.

He snapped himself out of it and readied the slingshot. Kevin grabbed it, then did a few athletic stretches as Double D read Eddy's flavor text out loud.

"Brave space cadet," he began, bracing himself for the terrible grammar ahead. "You have been… 'choosed'… to fight the aliens on behalf of the… 'Federalated' Ally Empire." He then cleared his throat as his face went red. "There is no greater task than this, earthling: destroy the… king alien… for better of the galaxy!"

Double D put the paper down and looked at Kevin, who had been staring at him while stifling a laugh. Wonderful, he thought. He silently thanked Eddy for making him look like a fool.

"Let's do it, sockhead," Kevin said.

"Very well," he replied. "Let the games… begin!!"

The thin cardboard door to the obstacle course opened, and Kevin sprinted into the room. What followed was an admittedly glorious half hour of Eddy screaming as he was repeatedly pelted by rocks. It gave Double D time to think about things. In other words, time to worry.

He didn't like the idea of Kevin thinking of him as a joke. He thought of the obstacle course and blushed; it was obviously a bunch of tire stacks, dumpsters, barrels and other such nonsense strewn about in Eddy's front yard. Eddy truly thought he was fooling everyone with the virtual reality premise, but Double D was certain that nobody was falling for it. Kevin clearly only wanted to shoot Eddy.

The sun began to hang low.

"That was the only thing you dorks put together that was worth it," Kevin said as he left the course, grinning. He tossed the gear to Double D, who scrambled to catch everything.

"Glad you enjoyed it, Kevin!" he said, trying to salvage his self-esteem. He looked at the googles, noting that the green film had fallen off. His face sank into a deep frown.

"Uh, yeah, the goggles broke," Kevin said. "Sorry, man."

Double D stared at the crummy binoculars disappointedly. He didn't care that the goggles were destroyed. He cared that they never worked at all.

"Don't worry," he finally said sadly. "They weren't actually capable of doing anything. Just junk."

~Later~

"Quit hoggin all the ice, Ed!!" Eddy shouted. He had been wrestling with Ed over a single ice pack as they treated their slingshot battle wounds. The struggle was bound to cause more injury, Double D thought, as he alone worked to break down the obstacle course before sunset. Even the term 'obstacle course' began to feel pretentious.

"Gentlemen, I've told you there's a spare—"

"Can it," Eddy interrupted. "What's the score? How much did we get?"

"One dollar and twenty-five cents," Double D replied. "Our worst haul yet, I dare say."

"What?!"

"We only had three customers, Eddy. Kevin paid triple. I encourage you to check the jar yourself. Afterward, we should discuss the reason that this happened."

"I bet it was beorufomffmphpm," Ed interjected as he jammed the ice pack in his mouth. Eddy punched him in the gut and caught the ice pack in midair.

"It was sockhead's stupid goggles, they didn't look cool enough," Eddy said. "Where's your head been at, Double D?"

That was the last straw of the day.

"I'll have you know, Eddy," he shouted, "that if there were any opportunity to make the best false virtual reality goggles, it would have been stifled by your IGNORANT clinging to the concept that sheets of green film would make them look like sophisticated technology! In regards to where my head has been, I can confidently say that wherever it's been is wrong! You don't appreciate my intelligence!"

"Uh, Double D—"

"Perhaps one could consider the ACTUAL reason for the low revenue! Could it be the fact that under your greed-filled direction, we've been attempting to scam this entire community for YEARS with proverbial snake-oil and parlor tricks, all the while never considering the consequences of each attempt?!"

"Double D—"

"I'm going home! You can clean the rest of this nonsense up, Eddy. And do try to think things through before approaching me again about another of these schemes."

Edd stormed out of Eddy's yard and began to walk home, leaving his friends behind in confusion. He was seething with anger. How could he let himself be repeatedly used like this? What compelled him to return to Eddy, only to face humiliation time and again?

He clenched the broken virtual reality googles in his small fists with great resolve. He would do it, he decided. He would design something practical and useful. Something that would actually work as intended. Eddy would have nothing to do with it.

And the neighborhood would love it.


	2. Down to Business

Double D opened the door to his room, his head whirling in a storm of ideas that had no conclusions.

"Messy, messy…" he muttered as he methodically cleared the clutter of the last big score off of his drafting desk. He stared at the blank space and retreated back into the confines of his mind. He had a process that he often used when brainstorming, sort of a mental template that he could populate with his thoughts. It came in three steps, the first of which being the output of what he wanted to achieve. This meant thinking out his problems.

He thought of Kevin's experience with the obstacle course. There was not one moment he could observe in which Kevin actually accepted the premise of a virtual reality experience. This meant that the whole idea was moot; they could have just handed him the slingshot and asked him to shoot Eddy. Therefore, the first thing he wanted to achieve was authenticity. The premise needed to be delivered exactly as advertised, no more paper tacos, no more green-tinted goggles. This was the only way to be proud of what he had designed.

The other part of Kevin's experience was his mild reaction. Double D couldn't explain it, but he had a strong feeling of wanting to blow Kevin's mind. He wanted to provide him with an unforgettable experience, and most importantly, he wanted Kevin to respect him. But why Kevin, he thought? He considered that it might be Kevin's "cool factor," an immeasurable variable that somehow made his opinions weigh more heavily than the rest of the cul de sac. It felt irrational, but it was succinct; his other goal was certainly to impress Kevin.

Thus concluded his desired output: He wanted to create something real, and he wanted to impress Kevin. Simple. Now the next step was to consider his input. What did he need in order to achieve his desired goals? Well, he considered, quite a few things. The first on the list would have to be a "good idea," something to base the whole project on. Unintentionally, his eyes wandered to the fake VR goggles from the scam. He raised an eyebrow. It wasn't a bad idea, he thought, it just wasn't executed in the way it deserved. What if he actually created a virtual reality course? That would certainly be an unforgettable experience, maybe even impressive enough for Kevin to take note.

It was then that Edd pulled out a notebook and started to plan the project. He jotted down his work so far under the heading of "Virtual Reality Project," leaving space to fill in the rest of his inputs. To make a virtual environment, he would need a computer. It would be simple enough to borrow the family computer in the living room, if he merely explained what he was doing to his parents. He took note of that. On that computer, he would need to install some sort of 3D modelling software. He brought the end of his pencil to his chin, recalling that there were many open-source programs for this purpose. He wrote that down. He would need to build working display goggles that accurately placed the user in the 3D environment. A challenge, but he jotted it down nonetheless. Finally, he'd need physical space to build the area the user would be walking around in. That step would be the easiest; it wouldn't need to be very detailed, as the goggles would do all of the work.

The third step of the planning process was where the real work came in. Double D would have to figure out how to apply his inputs to create the desired output. Essentially, problem-solving. How would he make the goggles? How could he make the goggles work? How could he make the physical space match the 3D environment?

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Listing the problems of a task was essential, but quite daunting. He was reminded of an elaborate model bridge he had made out of toothpicks after an entire sleepless night. The model ended up huge, but he remembered one thing; it started with one toothpick.

Edd circled his first task and focused on it. The goggles. He'd have to think of some way to make it display a 3D picture first, as the whole project depended on it. Using the same three-step process, he determined that he would need some costly supplies. Two small LCD screens, for example, among other things. He would have to come up with a detailed list and propose it to his parents, perhaps at the cost of taking on more chores. An equitable trade, he thought. This project was worth it.

As he continued drafting and planning, his mind flashed back to earlier events. Had he been too harsh with Eddy? He and Ed were both the best friends that Double D had ever had. They'd spent so much time together, coming up with scams which, to be fair, had only reached their completion due to Eddy's tunnel vision. Certainly, he thought, Ed didn't deserve any of that. He seldom even knew what was going on, the poor chap. Ed would do anything for his friends, no matter how much pain Eddy coaxed him into inflicting upon him.

On that note, Double D's anger returned slightly. Eddy needed to be told "no," he thought. Perhaps this little break would help him learn his lesson about having consideration for others. Another concern entered his mind, however. What if Eddy didn't learn?

Could he really allow himself to lose Eddy as a friend?

He finished his list of supplies and put it neatly in a folder, ready to be proposed to his parents. It was a long shot, but he always believed in the phrase, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." A mental image of Kevin flashed in his mind. Odd.

Shaking his head, he set the folder aside and began sketching out designs for his goggles. While he didn't have the supplies yet, it wouldn't hurt to start planning ahead. He labeled each component clearly and accurately, trying to keep the design as simple and efficient as possible. He grew more excited with each stroke of the pencil as his plans started to come together.


	3. An Unexpected Guest

A few days had passed since Double D began planning. His parents agreed to order the parts he needed, but they hadn't arrived yet. In the meantime, he had a rough draft of the 3D environment ready, and he managed to build prototype frames for the goggles and gun. They were both very rough, made out of uncomfortable plastic and metal scraps. He had just been adjusting the left temple of the goggles when the doorbell rang.

"Confound it," he angrily said to himself. His parents weren't home, and he had been looking forward to the entire day without interruptions.

The doorbell rang four more times as Edd stormed his way downstairs. Whoever was at the door was painfully stubborn.

"Coming!" Edd shouted. He reached the door, straightened his shirt, and then pulled on the handle.

"Eddy?" was all he could manage. His friend stood on the welcome mat with a large grin, rubbing his hands greedily. Ed was just behind him, blankly staring at the top of the doorway with a vacant smile. Had they forgotten so quickly about the events only several days past?

"Heya, sockhead!" Eddy enthusiastically yelled as he stepped forward into the house. "You better find a seat, because I'm about to blow your mind!"

"Eddy, now's not the time—"

Eddy grabbed Double D by the arm and swung him into a nearby chair. He sank into the cushion.

"Can it," Eddy barked. "You're not going to believe your ears. It's the master scam. The motherlode!"

"Eddy, I—"

"Theme parks," he interrupted, throwing his hands. "All of 'em have these rides, right? Big giant rollercoaster tracks, tons of metal and wood and space! Well, what if I told you we didn't NEED the track!"

Double D furrowed his brow. For a moment, he started to consider how to achieve what Eddy was describing. That was the trap. He shoved these thoughts away, promising himself to not get involved in another one of Eddy's misguided adventures.

"Stop!" Double D said, finally managing to interrupt Eddy's momentum. Eddy's lips dropped into a low frown as he raised his eyebrow.

"What's your problem?" Eddy asked.

"My problem," Edd began, "is that you clearly haven't thought for one second about what I said last week. You're charging into my house, uninvited, spouting off about a new way to take advantage of the trust of everyone in the cul de sac! I won't have it, Eddy!"

Eddy's face grew red as he shrank back. Even Ed, who had finally sauntered into the room, began to look ashamed. Double D rose from his chair and continued.

"I haven't spoken to you in days, because I have nothing to say to you. Until you thoroughly learn from your mistakes, count me out of any schemes or plots you might be concocting. I'm very busy for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, I encourage you to focus on something more productive than making a… what was it? A roller coaster with no tracks? I'd offer a mirthless laugh, but even that is more energy than I want to spend on your antics right now. You need to leave, Eddy."

Double D walked to the still-open front door and gestured outside. Eddy paused for a moment, then his face twisted in anger. He walked up to the door and looked Edd squarely in the eyes.

"Okay," Eddy said, pointing a finger in Double D's face. "I'm gonna let that fly this once. You better sort out whatever's eating you, sockhead, because I don't like the way you're talkin' to me!" He stormed outside. Double D crossed his arms defiantly.

Ed then crept up to the door like a scared puppy. Double D exchanged a glance, letting a wave of guilt wash over him. He really didn't have a problem with Ed, and it felt tragic to see his argument with Eddy inflicting so much damage on the poor fellow, who looked to be on the brink of tears.

"Ed," he said absently, his hand outstretched.

Ed just wiped his nose with his sleeve and slowly walked after Eddy. Double D watched his friends travel down the sidewalk, around the corner, and out of sight.

Well, that didn't feel good, he thought. He looked down absently at his welcome mat. He started to worry that he was overreacting. Eddy had only come over, the same way as always, to eagerly present one of the many plans that entered his head. There was no real insult, no malicious intent. He'd have to remember to apologize to them both, when the time was right.

Edd's gaze wandered to his mailbox. He noticed, with a welling excitement, that the flag was up. Perhaps, he thought, the parts had finally arrived.

He walked briskly across his yard, hoping that Ed and Eddy weren't still nearby. As he scanned left and right, he saw Kevin raking leaves across the street. Edd silently thanked his luck that his own parents didn't often ask him to do yardwork.

Still, he thought, one had to admire Kevin's diligence with his chores. He was wearing a white tank top, his familiar green sweater wrapped around his waist. He worked fast and neatly, which seemed contrary to his usual image. He planted the end of his rake into the earth and wiped his brow. Then, unexpectedly, he and Edd made eye contact. Double D froze in his tracks and came to a shocking realization.

He had walked far past the mailbox.

Embarrassed, he turned around and tried to ignore Kevin's gaze. He reached the mailbox and opened it, reaching deep into the back. His hand touched a small package. He retrieved it and examined the label. It was addressed to him.

He couldn't contain his excitement. He swiftly but carefully removed the band of tape on the top of the box and pulled the flaps aside.

"What's that?" Kevin asked.

Double D shouted and hurled the box into the air. He immediately regretted it; the box contained all of the parts for his goggles, the light gun, even the tracking system. His parents had paid for it once, and they would not be excited to do so again. This made each part practically irreplaceable. The world moved in slow motion.

Kevin caught the open box perfectly.

"Uh, you okay, man?" he asked.

"Certainly!" Edd replied, straightening his posture. "You just… surprised me, is all. How are you today, Kevin?"

"Fine, dork," Kevin said, lightly slugging Edd in the shoulder. He looked down the street where Ed and Eddy disappeared.

"I heard you guys arguing a minute ago," he added. "Everything cool? Seemed louder than usual."

Double D looked down toward the ground, clutching his own wrist. Was everything indeed 'cool?' He couldn't say for sure. That had been the first time he stood up for himself against Eddy, and the consequences were still ambiguous. He did know, however, that he greatly wanted to distract himself from the subject as soon as possible.

"Um, never mind that," he finally said. He held his hand out. "May I have my package?"

Kevin looked down at the box, shook it once, and then handed it over. He didn't seem to be satisfied with avoiding the subject, Edd considered, but he also seemed to understand not wanting to talk about something.

"So, what is that stuff?" Kevin asked as Double D gratefully took the box back.

"Just a few electronic components for something I'm working on," he replied. "You recall Eddy's scam from several days ago? The 'Virtual Reality' course?"

"Who could forget," Kevin said with a smile.

Edd blushed at that. Kevin certainly seemed to have enjoyed the excuse to shoot the Eds with a slingshot, but Double D was still embarrassed to be involved with the whole ordeal.

"Yes, well…" Edd began. "I've been looking into a way to make the experience a little more genuine. A real headset, being tracked in a three-dimensional environment, which would then be displayed back to the user. Also, a gun peripheral to interact with the environment—"

"Uh, hold on, dude…" Kevin said reluctantly, his hand held up slightly. "I can kind of already tell I'm not gonna know what you're talking about."

"Ah," Edd sheepishly replied. "Yes, I find that I often start yammering on with too many details. I get that way when I'm focused; I've been working on this project nonstop for several days, and I might be getting a bit obsessive."

"Well, why don't you just like, show me?" Kevin asked.

Double D paused. He didn't think Kevin had ever been inside his house. In fact, this single conversation was already more than they had probably spoken to each other in the last year or so. He considered the disorganized state of his room, but shook himself away from that thought. It would be nice, he decided, to have company other than Ed or Eddy.

"Of course, Kevin," he finally replied, gesturing toward his house. "Right this way!"


	4. The Sweater

Double D guided Kevin up the stairs to his room. It certainly felt strange to him, having a new guest in the house. Something about the experience made the house feel extremely silent; the creaking of the steps seemed to bounce off of the walls of the hallway up ahead. With Kevin's presence, Edd felt hyper-aware of the few spaces in the hallway that needed cleaning. He would need to take care of that after Kevin left.

He felt like some sort of curator for a 'Double D' exhibit, with Kevin as the curious tourist waiting for information. This gave Edd a strong sense of needing to present well, which made him immediately nervous. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he clasped them behind his back.

"Is this you?" Kevin asked, pointing at the printed label on Edd's door, obviously amused.

"C-correct," he replied timidly. Why had he labeled that? Superfluous. He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

"Woah," Kevin said as he looked into the room. Double D perked up at this and smiled. He watched Kevin as his eyes swept back and forth, taking in the huge setup of the VR project.

All of the furniture in Edd's room had been pushed and leaned against the walls, leaving a huge amount of floor space in the center. Filling this floor space was a series of wooden poles, pointing straight up on tripod stands, all roughly five feet tall. Scattered about the space were various scraps and devices, some of which were plugged into long cables which ran directly to the computer. In one corner, an empty VR headset frame sat on a pile of rough blueprints drawn in pencil.

"This is wicked," Kevin finally said as he almost stepped forward.

"Wait!" Double D shouted.

Kevin stopped on a dime, turning to look at Edd with a look of surprise. He raised his brow.

"I'm sorry," Edd said. "I usually ask that my guests wear these in my room."

He bent down to a box next to his door and retrieved a pair of pink bunny slippers, then put them on his feet. He grabbed another pair and held them out to Kevin.

"Are you serious?" Kevin asked challengingly.

"Quite, I'm afraid."

Kevin appraised the slippers for a moment. Double D felt his ears getting warm from embarrassment, but couldn't back down. Shoes carried an untold number of disgusting things from the outside, and he knew that Kevin was a particularly… adventurous person. He would not allow his room to be contaminated.

Kevin sighed and kicked his shoes off, taking the slippers from Double D's hand.

"You're weird, dude," he said.

Relieved, Double D picked up his package and entered the room behind Kevin. He set the box down next to the headset frame and pulled out the webcams that he ordered.

"So you see," he began to explain as Kevin inspected the setup. "The poles are meant to hold up these cameras in an elevated position. From this vantage point, they will be programmed to track specific markers on the headset's casing. The computer will take that information, using it to position a user in a close approximation of a three-dimensional space, like I mentioned before—"

"Uh huh," Kevin said absently as he followed the cables around the room. "So this area, you can walk around here? And it'll show up on the computer?"

"Eventually," Double D said, having fastened three of the cameras already. "Though this space is only about a fourth of the size that I intend to use. After some testing, I intend to set up a larger area in my garage. Parent permission pending, of course."

"Right," he said, nodding in understanding. "Then I guess the cameras would uh… track the gun too, yeah?"

"That's right. That's how the game will know where you're aiming and shooting."

Double D secured the final camera to its pole. Then he started running cables from the cameras to a hub on the computer. He was like a blur moving from station to station, tying zip-ties and tightening screws. He barely felt like he had company anymore. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Kevin crouching down to look at the headset prototype. That snapped him out of it.

"Ah," he said. "Do be careful with that, Kevin. I haven't quite figured out how to make it safe or comfortable to wear; it's an early prototype."

"I can tell," Kevin replied, looking closely at the frame.

With a free hand, he untied the sweater around his waist and tossed it on the floor. Double D wanted to offer to hang it up, but he didn't want to interrupt Kevin's thought.

"You don't have a thing for where the nose goes," he said. "So this flat metal part's just going to dig into your face."

"I see," Edd replied, walking up to him.

"Yeah, and I mean," he continued. "I'm not raggin' on it or anything, but it looks like you're just using stems from an old pair of sunglasses? This thing's gonna be way too heavy for that. You might want to put, like, a strap on it."

Double D cocked his head. Of course, he thought. He was looking at the headset as a pair of glasses, when it was more closely related to something like a welder's mask or a spelunker light. He held his hands out, and Kevin passed the headset over to him.

"You have quite an eye for design," Edd complimented.

"Idunno, I guess," he said. "I work on my bike all the time, trying to figure out what's comfy. I've made a few of my own helmets and stuff too. Here, check this out…"

Kevin sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the blueprints, then grabbed a page with one of the prototype designs. Edd reluctantly sat down next to him, watching as he drew new lines around the old draft. It struck him as highly imprecise; Kevin wasn't using a compass, a protractor, a square, or any of the drafting tools that Double D had religiously sworn by. Despite this, however, Kevin's design looked amazing.

More importantly, it looked practical.

"Kevin…" Double D said. "You're very good at this. This design is much better than mine."

"Are you kidding me?" he said, pointing around the room. "You think I could figure out how to put all this stuff together? You're a dork, but you're really smart, dude."

"Thank you," Edd replied. His face flushed again.

"Look," Kevin said as he scratched the back of his head. "This stuff is cool. Way cooler than that other stuff you guys do around here. I have a lot of free time on the weekends. You think I can come over and help you out with some of this? I… need to get out of the house sometimes."

Edd suddenly lit up, surprising even himself. He didn't know why, but he couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to have Kevin around as frequently as possible. Perhaps, he thought, it was as simple as that.

"That would be delightful," he said, trying to suppress his smile. He offered a hand to Kevin, and they shook hands.

"Right on, man," Kevin said with a smirk. He looked back down at the blueprint, and then looked over to Edd's clock. Sudden dread washed across his face.

"What's wrong?" asked Double D, genuinely confused.

"Oh crap," he replied. "My dad's gonna ream me!"

Kevin shot up and ran to the hallway, kicking the bunny slippers off and frantically trying to put his shoes on. Double D nervously followed him down to the front door, his untied laces flapping in every direction as they cruised down the stairs.

"Listen, dork," Kevin said with a panicked tone. "I'm really sorry. I'll be back tomorrow at around the same time, if that's cool."

"Uh—completely fine, Kevin!" Edd offered. "I'll be here!"

"Cool," he shouted, patting Edd on the shoulder.

Kevin sprinted through the doorway and collected his rake out of Edd's yard. Edd watched him run across the street to his house and disappear behind his front door. A light came on.

Well, he thought. That was interesting.

He shut the front door and locked it behind him. Despite the abrupt end to the evening, he couldn't help but smile. As he climbed the stairs to his room, he found himself getting giddy with each step. It felt great to have a new friend, he realized, especially during his spat with Eddy. And with Kevin's creative skill, Double D knew that the VR project would turn out wonderful.

He stepped through the doorway of his room and looked on the floor. Kevin had forgotten his sweater.

"Oh, dear," Edd muttered to himself. "Messy, messy messy."

He stepped over and picked up the shirt. He paused and felt the fabric in his hands. Normally, when one of his other friends had left something at his house, Edd would immediately put the article in question out in the hallway for quarantine. It would keep contaminants and unwanted smells out of the room, leaving him in peace.

Curiously, he didn't want to do that with Kevin's sweater.

He couldn't explain it. He rubbed the fabric with his thumbs, discovering that it was deceptively a very soft sweater. Despite the hygiene concerns, he could understand why Kevin wore it frequently. He also noticed it was still warm to the touch. Almost as if it were still being worn.

It smelled like Kevin, too, he realized. Not in an odious way, like with most dirty clothes, but in a very potent way that made it feel like Kevin was standing directly in front of him. The pleasant scents, like the baked goods, the bicycle tires, other such things.

With a start, Edd found himself wishing that Kevin were standing directly in front of him. He blushed, feeling as though this solitary sweater were spreading Kevin around his entire bedroom, while at the same time pulling him like a magnet to this one simple item. He looked nervously around the room, then out his window toward Kevin's house.

Against every rational thought he had, Edd tightly hugged Kevin's sweater.


	5. A Crush is a Crush

"I have a crush on Kevin," Double D wrote in his journal with a shaky hand.

"I had been feeling these things that I couldn't explain for some time now. It wasn't until his visit yesterday that I finally determined the cause of it all." He paused, looking up from his journal, to glance at Kevin's sketched designs of the VR headset. Since Kevin had left, Double D had installed the lenses and display screens into the prototype. He had worked long into the night, unable to sleep, in order to distract himself from his own feelings. He went back to his journal.

"I don't know what to do," he continued writing. "I'm terrified. If I tell him how I feel, which I'm not sure even I understand, there is a strong chance that he'll stop hanging out with me. At best. Kevin is a bully; he often mocks and antagonizes almost every other kid in the cul de sac. He has always been softer on me, which may be the root of all this. However, admitting that I can't stand it when he's not near me, that I want to hold him, that I lose my train of thought when he speaks to me, would all be ample reason for him to make fun of me. I don't think I could stand that."

He bit his pencil eraser with anxiety as he visualized the scenario. Kevin laughing, shouting to everyone in the neighborhood about Edd's secret. He imagined all the other kids joining in on the ridicule. After already potentially losing the Eds, Double D would be utterly alone.

"I want to believe that Kevin wouldn't do that," he went on. "He's been so kind to me, and seems genuinely interested in the VR project. He's coming over today. I don't think I can admit my feelings when he arrives, or even if I should. Perhaps if I wait, this will all pass. I will try to focus on enjoying his company, no matter what."

He folded the journal closed and secured all three locks. Then, the doorbell rang. His gut sank with both worry and excitement.

"Hey, double dork," Kevin greeted through the open front door. He was wearing a black T-shirt. A large bag was slung over his shoulder, apparently stuffed to the brim.

"Hello, Kevin!" Edd replied cheerfully. "That bag contains your supplies, I presume?"

"Yep," he said as he came inside. "Just a bunch of tools I'm borrowing from dad. I grabbed some foam sheets and stuff from the craft store, too."

"Excellent. Right this way, please."

Edd followed Kevin upstairs, noting how natural it already felt to have him visiting. As they reached the door, Kevin stopped himself, looked down at the box of slippers, then put his hand on his forehead.

"I—I'm sorry, Kevin," Double D began to say. He considered explaining his concern for contamination entering his room when Kevin interrupted.

"Nah, it's cool man. It's just… funny, is all." Kevin bent down and put the bunny slippers on again. "Let's do it, dude."

As they entered the room, Kevin immediately put his bag down on the floor next to the blueprints. He looked around at the setup, then his eyes fixed to the bed.

"Uh, hey, Double D?" he asked.

Edd looked up at him, then followed his eyes to the object on the bed.

"Oh, of course!" Edd exclaimed, rushing over to the bed. He picked up Kevin's sweater, which had been washed, pressed, and vacuum-sealed in a plastic travel pouch.

"I noticed that you left this here," he explained, "so I took the liberty of cleaning and packing it."

As Kevin grabbed the packed sweater, Double D blushed. Best not to mention, he thought, that I had fallen asleep with it last night.

"Woah," Kevin finally replied. "Thanks, dude. I haven't washed this thing since I got it."

Kevin tossed the shirt next to his bag and sat down on the floor in the same spot as the previous day. He flipped through the designs he had drawn and picked out his favorite. Then, he retrieved several thick sheets of craft foam, a tube of adhesive and a pocket knife.

Double D sat down at his drafting desk, smiling as Kevin started working. He had clearly done this sort of thing before; pasting sheets of foam together, then using the knife to sculpt them into a certain shape. It was a long process waiting for the glue to dry, and he could tell that Kevin was being much more precise than he was used to.

"While you were gone," Edd began, "I managed to get some of the tracking cameras to work. It is still a little imprecise, but I've almost finished modeling the three-dimensional environment as well. When you reach a stopping point, I'd like you to test out the prototype headset."

Kevin carved off a section of foam with great concentration, his tongue sticking out all the way to his cheek.

"Right on, man," he confirmed. "It wouldn't hurt to let this glue dry for a minute, I guess."

He stood up from the floor and walked over to Double D, who started plugging cables into the prototype headset. It was still a rough build, with a lot of exposed metal and other things that made it generally uncomfortable. It also had several bright circles affixed to the outside to better help the cameras track it. He passed the headset to Kevin, who put it on carefully.

"I can't see anything, dork."

"Right," Double D said as he brought his computer out of sleep mode. The 3D level had been loaded, and all he needed to do was to run the program. He got out of his chair and put his hands on Kevin's shoulders.

"I'm going to guide you to the starting point," he continued. He stepped along with Kevin as the pair made their way to a taped-off X mark in the center of the room. Edd gulped nervously, suddenly realizing that he was holding Kevin very closely. He wished the X mark were farther away.

"You okay?" Kevin asked blindly. "You're shaking a lot."

"Uh, low blood sugar," Double D blurted out. "Here we are! Stand right here."

As Kevin stood in the marked space, Double D trotted back to the computer and pressed a key. A quick loading screen appeared on the monitor, and then he could see Kevin's point of View through the goggles.

"Woah!," Kevin shouted. "This is crazy!"

He started looking back and forth, waving his hands around as if to touch parts of the level. Double D smiled, watching him poke around the room aimlessly.

"I haven't set up any enemies yet," Edd explained. "Basically because there isn't any way to interact with them yet—"

Suddenly, Kevin tripped on one of the camera tripods, causing it to fall over. He stumbled forward and got caught on a cable, which yanked the computer desk over. Double D gasped and grabbed the monitor before it hit the floor, but it was heavier than he expected. He lost his balance and knocked over another camera pole, which caused a domino effect on the rest.

After a few seconds, everything in the room finally stopped collapsing. Edd looked up from the floor as he clutched the monitor. He glanced at Kevin, who was laying on his stomach on the other side of the room, completely covered in electronics and papers.

"Ughh," Kevin groaned as he weakly lifted the headset off of his eyes.

"Perhaps," Edd began, "we should consider setting up in the garage from now on."

After several hours, most of the operation had been moved to the garage. It was getting dark outside. Kevin sat cross-legged on some spread-out newspapers, making great progress on the headset cover. Double D tried to keep himself from stealing a glance at him, as he continued programming the 3D environment.

How could something be so pleasant, and yet so maddening, Edd wondered. As he programmed, his mind kept returning to his crush, who he now had sitting just across from him. It wouldn't be hard, he thought. He could just say it. But he didn't understand exactly what it was he wanted. What would he even say? Did he even want anything to change? Surely this was good enough.

It isn't, he admitted to himself.

"Hey, Edd?" Kevin asked, his eyes still on his foam pieces.

"Yes, Kevin?"

"I was wondering," he continued. "You think I can crash here tonight?"

Double D was grateful that Kevin wasn't looking at him, because he suddenly felt red all over.

"I—I don't have a problem with it," he said. "But why? You live right across the street."

"It's just nice to get out of the house once in a while," Kevin said cryptically.

On one hand, this had been exactly what Double D wanted. On the other hand, this would mean an entire night of feeling like he was going to explode. He saved his progress on the level and rose from his chair.

"I'll fetch an extra pillow and blanket," he finally said with a mix of joy and fear.


	6. The Sleepover

Edd's room was completely dark, save for the soft light coming in through his open bedroom window. It only slightly illuminated the shape of Kevin, who slept in the middle of the floor under a thick blanket. Edd watched from his bed as the shape rose and fell with Kevin's breath. Something about it made him feel warmer than he'd ever felt before. That said, he found it impossible to fall asleep knowing that Kevin was right there on the floor. If only he were closer, he thought…

He decided he would need to distract himself, and rolled to face the ceiling. He steered his mind to other subjects.

The VR project was coming along extremely well, even better than Double D had expected. He really felt that it was becoming something special, and best of all, he had done it without the help of the Eds. He was starting to feel vindicated, even prideful. With luck, he thought, it should be ready in a few days.

But he hadn't gotten this far alone, he realized. He turned to look back at the Kevin-shaped blanket on the floor. It amazed Edd just how creative this obtuse bully could be. More than that, it also surprised him to see Kevin's dedication to the task at hand. He took it so seriously. It felt genuine, too. That was Edd's greatest surprise. The warmth that Kevin conveyed while they whittled away together on the project did nothing to help Double D fight back his feelings. Kevin was just so… present.

Well, that didn't work, he thought to himself.

Just then, a faint and distant sound of a heated argument echoed in through the bedroom window. It sounded intense, but muffled. Edd almost had to focus in order to hear it. It sounded like two adults, but he couldn't make out exactly what they were arguing about.

"That happens about the same time every night," Kevin said abruptly. Edd was startled.

"Kevin?"

Kevin poked his head out of the blanket, slight bags under his eyes.

"I didn't know you could hear it all the way over here," he said. "I mean, it seems pretty loud in person, but I never really thought about it."

"Do you know who they are?" Double D asked, shrinking a bit into his own blanket.

"My folks, man," Kevin said, exasperated. "They've got problems."

Every night? Edd thought.

"Usually it's pretty chill," he continued. "Sometimes they throw stuff, though. It can get kinda freaky."

Double D briefly considered his own home life. His parents were seldom around, often leaving passive-aggressive notes about chores and schedules, but they were always very loving. He couldn't imagine them fighting, let alone every night. He tried to place himself in Kevin's situation, but realized that there was no chance he could fully understand the experience.

"I'm sorry," Edd finally said, feeling highly unhelpful.

"Not your fault," Kevin replied. There was a moment of silence. "Thanks for letting me crash here, Double D. Means a lot."

Of course, Edd thought. This is what Kevin meant by 'getting out of the house'. He felt unsafe on a daily basis. He hadn't come over just to spend time with me, Edd realized. It was selfish to think that, selfish to be obsessed with some silly crush. Kevin needed help, somewhere to escape, some safe haven from his restless nights.

His visits were a show of trust, Edd thought. He would not betray this trust.

"Kevin," he said weakly as he looked across the dark room. "You can come over whenever you want. It doesn't matter what time. I'll try to set up better sleeping arrangements in the future."

Kevin was silent for a long time. Then, he stood up from the blanket, walked over to the window, and closed it tightly. The room went completely quiet.

"Thanks," he finally said, his voice breaking.

Double D watched as Kevin walked back to his blanket in the dark room. He bent down and pulled the bedding across the floor, finally setting it down next to Edd's bed. Then, he crawled back into the blanket and went silent. After a few moments, Kevin began to snore.

Double D smiled, and finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Double D woke up feeling extremely well rested.

He rolled to the edge of the bed and looked down to the blanket on the floor. Kevin was gone.

He must have gone home, Edd thought. He felt a bit disappointed. He stepped out of bed and noticed Kevin's pajamas piled on the floor, a simple tank top and a pair of boxers that he had worn last night. Surprisingly, Edd didn't blush as he bent down and collected the laundry. Kevin must have left them in the hopes that Edd would clean his clothes again, he thought. Edd found himself more than willing to help.

He walked barefooted downstairs with Kevin's laundry, intending to place it in the laundry room for later cleaning. As he turned the corner to pass through the kitchen, Edd stopped in his tracks.

Kevin sat, fully clothed, at the kitchen table, munching away at a plate of eggs. He stopped mid-chew and looked straight at Double D with an amused face.

"Um," Edd managed.

"Are those my clothes?" Kevin asked.

Edd blushed harder than he thought possible.

"W—well," he began, "I thought you had… I was going to—"

"You don't gotta keep washing my clothes, dork," Kevin interrupted with a smile. "I just didn't pack up yet. I figure we could finish setting everything up in the garage today. Look, your folks left us some food."

Double D exhaled and set the laundry down in the hallway. He walked into the kitchen and began to fix himself some breakfast. As he moved about the kitchen, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Kevin kept staring at him. He grabbed his plate and set it down at the table, then had a seat.

"So," Double D said, "I was thinking about adding a small motor inside the gun peripheral. It would be interesting to have some sort of haptic feedback while you're using it."

"Haptic?" Kevin asked with a confused face.

"Oh," Edd began. "That simply refers to technology that stimulates the senses of touch—"

He was interrupted by the ring of the house phone.

"One moment, please," Edd said as he stood up to answer the phone. He grabbed the receiver and pulled it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Heya, sockhead!" Eddy's voice pierced through from the receiver. Double D's mood immediately dropped.

"Eddy," he said flatly. "I'm afraid I'm terribly busy. Can you call at another time?" The line went silent for a moment.

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Eddy shouted. "Who do you think you are, Double D?! You've been ghosting me for a week straight!"

"You've been hounding ME for a week straight!" Edd yelled, then looked at Kevin and tried to calm down. "I'm going through some… very complicated emotions right now, and I need space from you to find out who I am."

Edd found himself surprised by his own words; he hadn't taken the time to work his feelings into a simple statement like that, but it certainly fit.

"Well, how do you think WE feel?" Eddy barked. "Outta nowhere, our best friend ditches us to go hang out with the biggest jerk in the neighborhood."

Double D stayed quiet, but looked at Kevin. How did Eddy know they were hanging out?

"Yeah, I know about your little boyfriend," Eddy sneered. Double D clenched his fist.

"He is NOT my—"Edd started to reply. Then he realized that Kevin couldn't hear the phone. No need to enter THAT discussion with him in the room, he thought. Plus, Eddy had only said it to be mocking. There was no way he knew how Edd felt.

"Look, Eddy, we can talk about it later," Edd continued, feeling like he was on the edge of crying. Kevin must have noticed that, because he stood up from his chair and started walking closer, a concerned look on his face.

"Nah," Eddy replied. "If you don't want to talk to me anymore, then… don't. I'm done. You're treating me like some kinda bad guy. I just called because I wanted your help."

When worded like that, Double D suddenly realized how cruel he had been. The Eds were his most trusted friends. Couldn't he at least have communicated how he felt without offending them? Perhaps it was time for a conversation. He felt tears welling in his eyes as Kevin stood closely next to him.

"Eddy…" he managed through a wobbling voice. Then, the line clicked dead. Eddy had hung up.

Double D pulled the receiver away from his head and looked at it for a moment. He felt streaks of hot tears going down his cheeks, but he still fought the sobs, even though it made him shake.

Suddenly, Kevin hugged him, and the sobbing began.

"Hey, man," Kevin said softly. "That sounded pretty intense."

Double D couldn't even form words. He focused only on how comfortable it was to cry into Kevin's arms. Things had spun out of control very quickly, and now he felt almost completely alone.

"Do you, like, wanna talk about it?" Kevin asked.

Edd looked up at Kevin. Was now the right time to tell him, he wondered? No. That wasn't what he was asking. Besides, Kevin needed him as a friend, someone to be trusted. He couldn't take advantage of him like this just because he was upset. He wanted Kevin to feel safe, above all things.

"I… can't," Edd finally managed. Kevin paused, then nodded in understanding.

"Alright, man. Just let it out. Then we can get back out there to get your mind off of it."

Not a chance, Edd thought silently.

"Alright," he said, despite himself. Then he returned to sobbing in Kevin's arms.


	7. Project is Go

Double D twisted the wrench on the last segment of the VR obstacle course.

The dimly lit garage had been fully converted to fit the project. Every inch of space was utilized in order to allow the physical props to match the 3D environment which would appear through the goggles. The computer was completely connected, the tracking cameras were all calibrated, and the gun and goggles were both operational.

It had been three days since the call from Eddy. Double D kept shuddering every time it crossed his mind. Fortunately, Kevin had been present for the entire duration of the project, even staying the night a few times, so Edd was able to get out of his own head every so often and cheer up.

"It's lookin' good, dude," Kevin proclaimed. He had a handful of excess scrap pieces that had cluttered the work area. "We could probably get it going anytime now."

Double D gave him a slight smile, but didn't reply. He looked at the floor somewhat dejectedly.

"Uh, what's up with you?" Kevin asked.

"Well," Edd began, "I'm frankly a bit nervous. What if Eddy shows up?"

"If that dork starts something, then I'll pound 'em," he said dismissively. "You've been working on this for like, two weeks. Don't let him mess it up, man."

Double D shrugged. "I don't want anybody to get, um… 'pounded,' Kevin," he said. "I just worry about confrontation. When I started working on this, I was so excited to see it through. I never stopped to think of the consequences of my actions, and how they might impact an occasion that should be celebrated."

"It's gonna be choice," Kevin insisted, abruptly putting his hand on Edd's shoulder.

The pair stood silently for a moment. Tell him, Double D thought to himself. He's been a part of this the entire time. He wouldn't be offended that you like him. At worst, he would say no.

Then, Edd's mind flashed back to his original thoughts on the subject; betrayal, ridicule, loss of trust. Kevin's potential response terrified him. There was a chance that, upon learning of Double D's affections, Kevin might actually react in hatred. Perhaps even fear. He might, Edd thought, stop coming over at all, having been so creeped out. If Eddy hadn't spoiled Edd's potential enjoyment of the VR project, Kevin's hatred certainly would. Everything could fall apart at once.

He looked into Kevin's eyes as deeply as possible, trying to search them for any indication of how he would react. He found himself biting his lip. The answers just weren't there.

"You're right," Edd finally said, desperately forcing a smile. "Let's just focus on having a good time."

Kevin nodded and let his hand drop to his side. He seemed concerned, as he had been for the last several days, but he didn't voice any objections to Edd's deflections. He walked over to the garage door and pulled it open, which filled the room with bright sunlight. Edd felt a spike of adrenaline in his chest.

"W—wait!" he called out, skittering up to his friend. Kevin raised an eyebrow and looked back.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I just… I've never started one of these by myself," Double D explained nervously. "It was always Eddy on the megaphone, calling everyone to gather around the event. I feel that I lack the bravado to do it, but if you'll just give me a moment to—"

"Eddy's not the only blowhard in the cul de sac, dork," Kevin said with a smirk.

Double D watched, blushing as Kevin set an empty glass jar on a nearby table. Then, he collected a megaphone from the wall of the garage and climbed up on that same table. Jimmy, Sarah and Rolf were all outside, though they didn't seem to notice that anything was happening yet. Kevin looked down at Double D, still holding his smile.

"We doin' this?" he asked. "Put up the sign, dude."

Double D snapped out of his daze and stepped over to collect the sign. It read, "Edd's Cosmic Adventure." It had been Kevin who pushed for this title, and he had done a great deal of work to craft the sign with painstaking detail. Edd wondered why Kevin insisted not to take credit for the project, but he decided not to ask.

He brought the sign just outside of the garage and planted it in the grass. He shared a glance with Kevin, who then began his pitch.

"Yo!" Kevin shouted to the neighborhood. "Who wants to shoot aliens?!"

Jimmy, Sarah and Rolf all perked up across the street.

"Who," he continued, "wants to go to a totally different planet, man?! Who wants to be somewhere they never thought possible?"

The kids all started to walk over in curiosity. Johnny and Nazz poked their heads out of their houses. As Double D's driveway started to populate, Kevin moved along with the pitch.

"For only 25 cents, you'll be given a cool set of goggles that can teleport you to a different planet! A planet filled with danger and adventure! Excitement!"

He's quite the ham, Double D thought with a smile. The neighborhood seemed to be adequately engaged, though, he noted.

"Fight monsters! See new worlds! Only at Edd's Cosmic Adventure!"

The kids began to line up excitedly as Kevin hopped down from the table. Double D ran over to pick up the VR gear. Sarah was the first customer in line.

"I'm first!" she insisted, dropping a quarter in the glass jar. "This better be good, Double D."

"I assure you," he replied, "that this is my greatest achievement yet."

Edd placed the headset over Sara's eyes, suddenly stricken by how incredibly detailed Kevin had made the shell. It was sculpted with perfect symmetry, painted with expert care and shined with several thick layers of epoxy. In his hands, it felt like something out of this world. He silently wished he could re-make the sign, including Kevin's name much larger than his own. Kevin was being far too generous.

He flipped the switch on the goggles, and Sarah's mouth dropped.

"Woah," she said. She stretched her hands out and started stepping into the course. Double D hurried to hand her the gun, which was also amazingly crafted.

"Good luck," Edd said. Sarah trotted off.

The rest of the work was done in the program, so Double D stepped over to the computer. They had connected an extra monitor to show people in line what Sarah was doing—that had been Kevin's idea as well—and they all seemed riveted to the screen.

Sarah was completely immersed, expelling mixtures of laughter, frustrated grunts and taunts to the virtual aliens. It all made for an exciting show, and after a few minutes, Double D realized that they didn't have to keep advertising it anymore.

After a while, Sarah returned to the table, victorious and panting. She handed the headset to Double D with a smile.

"I'm gonna go get more quarters!" she shouted. Then, she ran off as Jimmy tossed his own 25 cents into the jar.

The cycle continued for hours, and each of the kids ran through the course at least five times. Even the Kankers showed up, Marie being too distracted by the event to even hit on Double D. A crowning achievement, that, he thought.

At the peak of their business, Kevin wrapped an arm around Edd's shoulders. They were beaming at eachother, and for a moment, Double D almost felt like he could ignore the VR course entirely. In fact, he even stopped worrying that Eddy would show up.

He never did.


	8. Wanna Come Over?

The garage door slammed shut.

The cul de sac was dark and chilly, though the streetlights set a soft orange glow over Double D's surroundings. Kevin stood at the end of the driveway, his large bag slung over his shoulder. Under his right arm was the jar of quarters. The pair were both exhausted and satisfied.

It was all a success.

The boys had spent a few hours cleaning up the VR course; Edd's parents had only agreed to host the event for one night, and needed the garage to be accessible. They also had spent the time counting their earnings.

"Not bad, dork." Kevin said as he tossed the jar to Double D. He caught it awkwardly.

"Excellent, in fact," Edd replied with a smile. "Twenty-one dollars and fifty cents. That was the first time I've ever received a tip for one of these projects."

The pair went quiet. They both looked around the neighborhood, basking in victory, appreciating the silence of the night. Despite his exhaustion, Double D felt ridiculously energized. It was a shame, he thought, that he had gotten this energy just before bed. He looked back to Kevin, who was now looking at the ground, twisting his shoe on the pavement of the driveway.

"Hey, uh…" Kevin started. "I know you probably want to go to sleep, but I wanted to ask. Do you wanna come over? I can tell I'm gonna be up for a while, and my folks aren't home."

Double D looked at Kevin's house, just across the street. He shifted in place. He'd never been there, with good reason. Even Kevin seemed apprehensive every time he had to go home. Why, he wondered, would Kevin want to invite me there?

"I would like that," he decided. "Should I bring anything?"

Kevin grinned. "Up to you, dude. I've got a game I can't beat that you could probably help me out with."

"Oh, no," Double D protested as he started to walk across the street with Kevin. "I don't really play those things. My parents try to keep my entertainment practical."

"Right, I forgot, you don't even have a TV in your room," Kevin complained.

"I find it hard enough to sleep without it," Edd explained, laughing. "If I had one of those, I'd never sleep again."

"Man, you haven't slept much since we started hanging out, Edd." said Kevin. "I don't think a TV would make a difference. Except maybe I'd come over more often."

Double D blushed. I'll have to look into that, he thought.

The pair reached Kevin's front door, and he unlocked it with his house key. They stepped into the main hallway, and Double D couldn't help but examine everything. The floor was a dark stained hardwood, quite old, Edd thought. It creaked under every footfall. The kitchen and living room were both extremely messy, and the entire house seemed to smell like something was burning.

Double D was confused by this. It seemed to him that every time he would look across the street, Kevin would be doing chores. How could the house be in such disarray, then? He looked at Kevin, who seemed a bit embarrassed. Edd decided not to bring it up.

Kevin guided Edd to another door and opened it. It revealed a green carpeted stairwell that led straight down to the basement. As they rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Double D couldn't help but softly gasp.

Kevin's room, which occupied the entire basement of the house, was perfectly clean. Double D would even describe it as cozy. He was overwhelmed with a concentration of pleasant smells that he had only ever had a hint of whenever he stood near Kevin.

The floor was covered with dark green carpet, and the walls were decorated with deep brown wooden paneling. A soft yellow light hung from the ceiling. In one corner of the room rested an old vinyl player, connected to a massive sound system, with a hefty collection of records lined up in milk crates just off to the right. Kevin had a neatly-made king-sized bed with purple blankets, which stretched sideways along one of the walls. On the opposite wall was a large entertainment center which hefted a moderately sized TV. Also in the center were dozens of movies, games and gaming systems. Double D noted, with surprise, that Kevin also had a fully stocked bookshelf.

"That was pretty awesome today," Kevin said as he dropped his bag on the floor. He kicked off his shoes and put them next to the stairwell.

"U—uh, I agree, Kevin," Double D said, trying to snap himself out of the moment. He placed his own shoes next to Kevin's, suddenly feeling a bit silly for enforcing the bunny slipper rule at home.

"I mean, did you see Rolf? He was way into it," Kevin continued. He walked over to the entertainment center and crouched down to collect a game. As he set up the console, Double D sat down on the floor against Kevin's bed, tucking his legs underneath himself.

"It seemed to me," Double D began, looking at the hunched over Kevin, "that everyone was 'into it'. I've never seen anyone have as much fun on any of my other designs. It was actually the main thing I wanted to accomplish when I set off on my own with this: true immersion. A very real experience."

"Yeah?" Kevin asked as he turned around with a raised eyebrow. He stepped over to Edd and sat cross-legged next to him, controller in hand.

"Yes," he replied, growing warm from Kevin's proximity. "I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of doing something special without Eddy's direction."

"Oh, dude, there was never any question of that," Kevin declared sternly. "You're like, a genius. I'm just glad I could help."

Double D thought back to the sign that only featured his own name. He looked down at his knees as Kevin's game started up.

"You deserve a lot more credit than you give yourself," he told Kevin. "You have this… 'cool' factor about you, and it really shows in every aspect you helped me with. The goggles looked amazing, and you gathered such a crowd."

"Heh," Kevin snickered. "Thanks."

Double D looked at the TV screen, watching Kevin's character—a knight of some kind—jump around a castle wall, defending it from monsters. He didn't know what game it was, but Kevin seemed quite good at it.

"Y'know," Kevin began, "I've been thinkin' about the money we made."

"Oh?" Edd asked.

"Yeah. Usually you guys just run out and get jawbreakers or something, right? Well, I have jawbreakers for days in my garage. Maybe instead of buying stuff, we could… idunno, save it for the next thing?"

Edd raised a brow. "The next thing?"

"Yeah, idunno… if you wanted to do something like that again," Kevin explained, not looking away from the screen. "I'm game."

Double D's heart started racing. The next thing, he thought? Kevin wanted to keep working on things with him? He began to feel extremely conflicted. Kevin was sitting so close to him that they were almost touching. They had spent a majority of the last two weeks exclusively with each other, and all the while, Kevin was highly invested in Double D's feelings and aspirations. He began to wonder, quite hopefully, if this meant more than friendship.

Kevin's on-screen character suddenly encountered a massive horned monster that was perpetually on fire.

"Oh man," he said. "This guy always kills me. Watch this."

Double D watched absently as Kevin dodged the monster. What if that was just wishful thinking, he wondered? He reminded himself of the dreaded possibility that admitting his feelings to Kevin would drive him away. Edd loved hanging out with him, loved building things with him, loved talking to him so much that it almost hurt. He didn't want to lose that, no matter what. He couldn't confess.

"Woah!" Kevin shouted at the screen as he took a hit from the beast. He recovered and tried an all-out assault with his sword.

Then Double D considered the agony of never telling him. If Kevin were to sleep over at his house, and he could never share his feelings, every day would be a slight kind of torture. It would also be a dishonest friendship, he realized. In that case, confession seemed to be imperative; the sooner the better.

The monster struck Kevin's avatar in the same way as before, after taking a few hits.

"Any ideas?" Kevin asked in an agitated tone.

Lost friendship, or prolonged agony, Edd considered as he watched the screen. He started to shake with anxiety, his hands burning with a pins and needles sensation. He felt like he was about to explode. Maybe, he thought, he should just go to bed.

Maybe, he thought, he should just speak his mind.

"Every time he lowers his head," Edd practically shouted, "he sweeps at your legs with his tail!"

"Oh?" Kevin asked.

"The next time he does it, jump, and attack his head!"

"Choice."

"Also, I like you!" Edd blurted.

The monster swung its tail, and Kevin didn't jump. His avatar exploded violently, showing a game over screen. He didn't press continue.

The controller fell out of his hands.


	9. The Confession

For a long time, Kevin said nothing.

Double D couldn't bring himself to look up from the floor. Still shaking, he brought his knees to his chest and hugged his own legs tightly. He needed to hold onto something for dear life.

"Um," Kevin managed. "I don't really know what to say."

Then it's not mutual, Edd thought. He wished he could melt away through the floor.

"I guess I just don't totally get what you mean," explained Kevin.

Double D remained silent, knowing full well that Kevin was waiting for a response. He squeezed himself tighter and buried his face into his knees. He was convinced that he had just ruined the only friendship he had left.

Suddenly, he felt Kevin's arm wrap around him, followed by his body scooting in closer. Edd would be comforted if he didn't feel so sick.

"C'mon, man," Kevin said carefully. "I wanna talk about this. This is all new to me."

Double D raised his head and turned to Kevin, who was inches from his own face. No harm in continuing, then, he thought.

"I… enjoy it when you're around," Edd explained. "But that's a bit of an understatement. I don't want to sound insane…"

Double D let out an anxious sigh and started quaking again. Kevin held him tighter.

"I like it when you're around, too," Kevin said. "Maybe it's different, but that's common ground, you know?"

"I don't want to lose you!" Edd almost shouted with a wobbling voice.

"That's even more common ground," Kevin said optimistically. "Look, I'm not sure how I feel about all of this, yet. But I think it's really cool that you told me. I know it was really hard. Now stop shaking, you're gonna give me motion sickness."

Edd tried to catch his breath while Kevin rubbed his back. The shaking subsided, and Edd got the sense that the worst part was over. Kevin hadn't run away.

"I'm… sorry," Edd said, his eyes welling.

"Probably stop apologizing too," Kevin said with a smirk. He looked at the floor and started picking at the carpet with his free hand.

"Maybe I'll start," he continued. "Like I said, I don't know how I feel about this, yet. But I know that hanging out with you feels way different than hanging out with Rolf. I know sometimes we look at each other without saying anything, and I don't do that with anyone else."

Double D perked up at this and wiped his eyes. He let Kevin go on.

"I don't know what all of that is, but whatever you're feeling seems kind of like… like it can happen at the same time? I'm a little scared, honestly, but I don't want to stop hanging out with you at all. That sounds like a real drag."

Kevin loosened up his grip on Edd and looked him in the eyes.

"I guess what I'm saying is," he explained, "I want to know what you want. I want to know how I can help you figure this out, because maybe it'll help me figure myself out as… like… a side-effect, or something."

Double D gazed at him. He noted that there was a slight blush to Kevin's face; this had been a difficult admission for him, as well. Kevin was scared too. Double D decided that the best solution was to be entirely honest about what he wanted. He owed Kevin that much.

"Alright," Edd began, straightening himself. "I haven't tried to put it into words yet, so this may sound like nonsense."

He paused to think, then shook that process away. He'd been thinking too long, he decided. Instead, he would try to just start talking, hoping his thoughts came to him.

"What I want the most, I think, is to be near you. As close as possible. I… like when you hold me like this. Sometimes, I wish you would hold me even when nothing's wrong. Sometimes, when you sleep over… please appreciate my candor… sometimes I wish you were sleeping next to me. Actually, that time you left your sweater at my house—I kind of… fell asleep with it."

Kevin blushed hard, but offered a reserved smile. Double D realized that the detail about the sweater may have been a bit much.

"All that stuff sounds kinda… nice," Kevin replied. "I thought about sleeping next to you one night, but I didn't wanna freak you out. I think I am cool with trying that."

Double D filled with warmth and leaned up against Kevin's chest.

"Thank you," he said.

"Um," Kevin started, more embarrassed than Edd had ever seen. "I kind of have a thing too, Double D."

"Oh?" Edd asked. Kevin looked away from him and sighed. Now HE was shaking, Edd noted.

"Yeah," Kevin confirmed. "Sometimes, when you're really focused, you do this… pouty thing with your mouth. The last few days, every time I've seen you do that, I… kind of can't look away from your lips. A couple of times… I pictured kissing you."

Edd's heart started racing.

"Do you mind if I… try that?" Kevin asked.

Before Edd knew what he was doing, he spun Kevin's head to face him and eagerly pressed his lips against his friend's. Kevin went limp as Edd held the kiss for as long as he could manage. They stopped for air, looking deeply into each others reddened faces, then kissed again just as deeply. Edd Finally, Edd slowly pulled himself away to study Kevin's eyes. Had he really just done that, he asked himself?

"Okay," Kevin said softly, his eyes half closed. "I definitely liked that."

"That's probably something we should do again," Edd observed playfully. "Especially if we're going to be working together for the foreseeable future."

"Choice," Kevin agreed.

Double D turned around to face the TV screen. He scooted just in front of Kevin, then leaned back, nesting his upper back into Kevin's crossed legs.

"Now," Edd began picking up Kevin's controller and passing it back to him. "Show me this monster you were having trouble with. I believe my recommended solution is accurate."

Kevin grasped the controller and held it out with his arms around Edd. Edd sank further into his spot and clasped his hands together over his chest. He couldn't remember feeling more comfortable in his whole life. He couldn't believe that he had been so terrified only moments before; everything seemed to have a way of working out, he thought, as long as he was transparent and honest. And it certainly helped that Kevin was such an amazing person.

"Hey, Kevin?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Kevin acknowledged, already engrossed in the game.

"Thank you for talking it through with me."

Kevin nodded, then encountered the troublesome beast that had given him difficulty. He held Edd a little tighter as he tried to use his advice. He dodged the tail and struck the enemy's head three times in a row, felling the beast successfully. Double D smiled as Kevin progressed.

He couldn't recall exactly when he had fallen asleep in Kevin's lap.


	10. Early Morning

Double D quietly closed Kevin's front door as he stepped outside. It was so early that the sun hadn't come out yet. The street was mostly quiet, save for the sound of a few morning birds having just woken up. His hand lingered on the doorknob, and he let out a light sigh.

He had woken up in Kevin's lap, who had also fallen asleep, his game controller still in his hand. Edd couldn't remember the last time he nodded off on the floor, and he was feeling a little sore from the awkward sleeping position. That said, he could still almost feel Kevin's arms enveloping him, even long after Edd had placed a pillow under his head, tucked a blanket around him, and snuck out to return home. He hadn't warned his parents that he was staying at a friend's house, and they were probably quite worried.

Edd felt like he was floating as he walked down the moonlit driveway, the orange hint of sunlight just cresting the edges of the rooftops across the street. He realized he hadn't been outside at this hour in recent memory. He smiled at the serenity.

He had done it. He had confessed his feelings, and much to his elation, his feelings were reciprocated… at least partially. At the very least, Kevin wasn't afraid of him, wouldn't mock him, wouldn't hate him. A major victory in transparency. He now was certain that he had a friend, more than a friend, and that they would stick close and work together for as long as the future would allow. Maybe even kiss a few more times, the fates permitting.

"Are you kidding me?" Eddy barked, as he emerged from a nearby bush, snapping Double D out of his trance, sending a burst of adrenaline through his body.

"Eddy?" He asked in a hushed tone, trying desperately to cling to the early morning peace as his friend stomped up the driveway.

"A VR obstacle course?!" answered Eddy. "You took MY idea, ran off with some other kid, made a bunch of cash, and you thought I wouldn't NOTICE that?"

"YOUR idea?" Edd asked, blindsided by the accusation.

"Yeah," Eddy replied, angrily pointing his finger. "MY idea. I'M the one with the ideas. I ALWAYS have the ideas, and the VR thing was just like all the others. That's how it works, Double D. I get ideas, and I come to you to make 'em happen! So why did ours end up sucking, and why do you suddenly get to try it again with someone else without ASKING me?"

Double D wanted to deny it, but the truth hit him like a brick. It WAS Eddy's idea. Double D HAD no ideas. He had always been able to think of creative solutions to problems, but as far as the Ed's business ventures, Double D had never contributed a single base concept. He had always rushed to support Eddy's schemes, and nothing ever seemed to happen unless Eddy thought of something. And Eddy thought of things incredibly well.

But that wasn't all Eddy was saying.

"Our VR Course failed," Double D explained, "because you lacked the PATIENCE to allow me to fully explore the concept. Everything was always a rush! I had no time to implement things the way I wanted!"

"I don't remember you bringing that up ONCE while we were doing it. You never said any of that until you flipped out on us and left!"

Edd's fists clenched as he tried to maneuver past THAT accusation. But he couldn't. It was true as well.

Oh goodness, he thought. I've overreacted. I didn't communicate, and I've ruined this friendship.

Both Eds said nothing. They just stared at each-other, their faces red with anger.

Abruptly, Double D ran home, leaving his old friend seething on the sidewalk. He swung open the door to his house, ran upstairs to his room, dove into his bed and began to cry.


	11. What's Eating Edd?

A brief but strong snore jolted Kevin awake, and he abruptly sat straight up, his neatly-tucked blanket falling off of his chest. He looked around, completely disoriented, until his eyes found his alarm clock.

Oh, man, he thought. He had slept until 1PM.

He wiggled the rest of the way out of the blanket and sensed some significant bed-head going on. He staggered over to his closet, wondering how he ended up sleeping on the floor. Then the memories of last night struck him, and he turned to look back at where he had been sleeping.

He saw the perfectly fluffed pillow, put carefully down on the floor right in line with the ruffled-up blanket. He had a feeling that before he moved, the blanket had probably been neatly spread out and carefully tucked around him. His game console was powered off, and his controller had been rolled up in its own cable with precision and neatly tucked away in the entertainment center. Kevin had never put that stuff away, he realized. This was Double Dork's work.

He grinned as he opened his closet, and a note fell from the door.

"Dearest Kevin," it began. Dork. "I apologize for my departure, but I did not advise my parental figures that I would be out of the house all evening, and had planned to be home by 9PM. Falling asleep in your company was a happy accident, one that I wish to repeat with more planning. I thank you kindly for the discussion we had. My talk with you put to rest a lot of my fears and anxieties. I look forward to seeing you again soon!

With respect,

Eddward"

The part of the note that said 'With respect' had several phrases that were neatly scribbled over and crossed out, to the point where Kevin couldn't quite make out what it originally said.

"Cool," he finally said to himself, feeling warm all over.

He pulled off his shirt and started getting dressed, thinking about last night. Was that too much, he wondered? Was he really thinking of dating Double D? He didn't remember liking any guys before, and the idea of it was a little scary. He definitely liked that kiss, though, he decided.

There was a lot of other cool stuff about Double D that Kevin couldn't take his mind off of. That VR business was rad, he reflected. The whole thing. He liked how much Double D let him help, without being too bossy or hovering over him. He was just the typical egghead that didn't quite get how to make things look awesome. But everything he did FELT awesome.

Kevin headed up the stairs from the basement and looked around the house for any sign of his parents. His dad would not be happy that he slept so late, especially when he was supposed to mow the lawn in the morning. He always felt like he walked a lot more cautiously in the rest of the house. He really didn't like it in here, it made him feel really small. He preferred to go outside as much as he could, where he could live large, flex on the neighborhood a little, show off his bike, stuff like that. But when he was home, he always felt a little shut down. Today was no different.

A less friendly note was left on the kitchen counter. Yep, he thought. A very stern message about the lawn, about what might happen if he doesn't mow the lawn, another excuse as to why dad wasn't home again.

Not that he minded that dad wasn't home.

Kevin put on his chore boots and headed out to the shed. As annoying as chores were, they really helped him exert himself when he was feeling a little pent-up, which happened to be always. He also got some decent allowance for yardwork, too, though he probably wasn't going to get anything for this one.

He wheeled the mower out into the backyard, poured some gas in it and yanked the cord. He felt the mower chug to life and vibrate, and he felt himself locking into chore mode. He often used this time to think about stuff, and he had a few major things to think about today. For instance, when would he see the Double Dork again? Would it be better to wait a while, so he wouldn't get scared off? What would the next big project together end up being?

As he finished the backyard, he turned the mower off and leaned on it. The biggest reason to mow the lawn in the early morning is because it gets stupid-hot in the afternoon. Kevin felt pretty wiped out, admittedly, and he was sweating more than usual. He needed some water.

He went back into the kitchen and poured a glass, soaking in the air conditioning for a few minutes. He looked over at the phone.

A phone call was probably fine, right?

He picked up the phone and dialed Double D's number, feeling more than a little embarrassed. The two had just hung out, he thought, and it's not like he and the Dork had anything new to talk about. Still, for some reason, he just wanted to hear from him. The phone kept ringing.

"Ugh," he mumbled. "Please just don't think I'm some kinda freak."

He felt the other end pick up.

"Hello?" Edd's voice asked weakly.

"Uh," Kevin began, disarmed by the muted voice. "Hey man. It's me. Are you doin' alright?"

"Yes, Kevin," he answered. "I'm just feeling a little sick."

"Oh."

"Did you want to discuss anything?"

"Uh, yeah," said Kevin. "I just wanted to thank you for uh… tucking me in, y'know. Hahah."

Double D seemed to perk up at that. "Of course! That was a very strange place for us to fall asleep, I daresay."

"Yeah," Kevin replied. "I didn't know where I was when I woke up. Anyway, do you like, need anything? Because you're sick? I could like, come over. Make you some soup or something."

There was a long pause on the other end.

"I wouldn't mind having someone to talk to right now," Edd finally replied. "I'm not actually sick. I was merely using a benign fabrication to avoid souring your mood with unnecessary—"

"Yeah," Kevin interrupted, smiling. "I kinda got that. I'll be right over."

"Splended. See you soon," Double D said cheerfully. Then, they both hung up.

Kevin realized he'd have to put off the front yard until later, and he silently hoped that his dad wouldn't come home before he was done cheering up the Dork.

He put on his sweater and stepped out the front door, trying to figure out what was bugging the smartest kid in the cul-de-sac.


	12. Yeah, I Make Cookies

Double D's front door was unlocked, so Kevin let himself in and walked upstairs to his room. He knocked three times.

"Come in," Edd said quietly.

As Kevin opened the door, he was surprised to find all the lights off and the blinds closed. What little light passed through the windows and doorway showed a very messy room, by Edd's standards. His eyes scanned from wall to wall, finally landing on his blanket-covered silhouette on the bed.

He pulled a chair up to the bed, spun it backwards, and sat down next to his friend.

"Yo, man. I didn't have time to make soup, but I got these cookies I made a few days ago," Kevin said, pulling the cookies out of his bag.

"You make cookies?" Double D asked with a tiny voice as he peeked out from his covers.

"Yeah."

"That explains it."

"Explains what?" Kevin asked.

"Nothing," replied Edd dismissively. "Thank you for the cookies. They smell excellent."

Kevin shrugged and set the bag down. He folded his arms over the top of the chair and rested his chin on them. The two of them were silent for a while.

"So, what's eatin' you?" Kevin finally asked.

Edd shifted under the blankets and took a while to respond.

"Eddy confronted me again just after I left your house," he said. "In your front yard, in fact."

Kevin jerked up at that. "I'll POUND that little—"

"Don't!" Double D interjected. "He had some valid points. It was scary, but I'm okay. At least, I think I'm okay."

"Well what did he have to say?"

Edd shifted again, taking his time to think about his answer. "He reminded me what my position was. I was so excited about my ability to put the VR project in motion by myself, but I failed to realize that it wasn't even my idea in the first place. I don't have ideas, Kevin. I can solve problems, but I'm not capable of starting things myself. I think I lack the imagination."

"That's garbage, man!" Kevin shouted. "You're the smartest kid I know, and that thing we did together was awesome. Eddy could never see anything through like you did!"

"Regardless of what I contributed," Edd insisted, "it was still Eddy's idea. His plan. And the only reason I never make his plans as good as they can be is because I've always felt rushed. But I never told him that. I just let myself get angry in silent obedience. I blew up on him, Kevin, and it surprised him. Shocked him. He didn't deserve that."

Double D removed the blanket from his face and looked Kevin, with tears in his eyes.

"And now," he continued, "I'll never make anything like that again. Eddy's gone, and it's my fault."

Kevin paused to think. Double D was being so unfair to himself, and he never thought he'd see the Dork crying. He hated it.

"You miss him, huh?" Kevin offered as softly as he could manage.

"I do."

Kevin looked down at the floor, then scooted his chair closer.

"You know, man," he began, "I think Eddy's just jealous that he's not a genius. I think he needs you, and you know it. And I think that's a really dangerous situation for you. I think you care a lot about him when you really shouldn't, but I don't think you can control that. You gotta tell him what you aren't gonna put up with, otherwise he's gonna keep hurting you. If he keeps hurting you, I'm not gonna like that. You know?

Double D contemplated for a moment.

"What would you say to him, if you could talk to him one more time?" Kevin asked.

"I suppose," Edd said after a while, "that I respect his ideas. I don't think he respects what I can do with them. I'd tell him that I regret not being more communicative and letting it build up until I couldn't take it anymore."

"Huh," Kevin said. "I mean, that all sounds pretty fair to me."

"But as I said," Edd dismissed, "that moment is gone. You should have seen him, Kevin. It was all in his eyes. He's never looked at me like that. Like he'll never look at me again."

Kevin looked around Edd's dark room. Even though he couldn't understand why Eddy was so important, he could definitely see the impact it was having on Double D's life. Just after one day.

Something had to be done.

"Well, Double Dork," he said as he rose from his chair. "I'm gonna leave these cookies on your nightstand. I gotta finish mowing the front lawn before my dad does somethin' drastic."

"Oh, my, Kevin. I didn't mean for you to shirk your responsibilities. Thank you so much for coming to try to cheer me up. I'll be better soon enough."

No, you won't, Kevin thought.

He walked closer to Edd's bed and gave him a long look. Edd gazed back at him through now-drying tears. There was an unspoken comfort, looking at eachother like this. Kevin bent down and gave him a small kiss on the forehead, thankful for the darkness that hid his blushing, embarrassed face.

"Hang in there, Dork," he said. He patted Double D on the head, then headed out of the room, down the stairs, and out to the street.

It was time to find Eddy and settle this.


	13. The Search for Eddy

Just as he left Double D's house, Kevin trotted across the street towards Eddy's. Eddy lived right next door to Kevin, which probably explained why they were sick of each-other more than anybody else in the cul de sac.

That, and Eddy had a real loud mouth.

As he passed his own house, Kevin got a fresh look at the un-mowed front lawn and felt a shot of anxiety. Whatever he had to say to Eddy, he had to say it fast and get back to work. There was no telling what his dad might do if it wasn't finished before he got home.

Kevin reached Eddy's front door and gave it three solid, somewhat angry knocks. He waited. No response.

He hammered a few more knocks out, then listened through the door. Nobody stirred. Either dork-face was hiding, or he wasn't home.

He looked around the cul de sac and found no sign of Eddy. He was kind of hard to miss. That meant, Kevin decided, that Eddy must be at one of his weird hangouts that the Eds usually skulked around at. That meant the construction site, the junkyard, the back-alley, maybe even the trailer park. Kevin doubted the trailer park, because nobody in their right minds went anywhere near the Kanker sisters on purpose. But the back-alley lead to a small lane that happened to go through all of the other places Eddy might be.

Man, he did NOT have time for this.

Kevin ran full-out to his own garage next door and swung the door open. The sudden sunlight gleamed across the frame of his prized bike. Freshly tuned, freshly washed, and freshly awesome. His bike was, without question, the fastest way to check out the lane; in fact, the bike was the reason knew the lane so well. It was the only place that Kevin could really let loose on the thing, because he didn't have to worry about traffic or intersections. It was a straight shot.

He wheeled his bike out into the driveway and gave a final glance at the yard. This was it, he thought. The more time he put the yardwork off, the more likely his dad would come home with some choice words, maybe worse. This stuff with the Eds wasn't even really his business, was it? Maybe it would work itself out, he thought.

No. He had to help Double D. He had to find Eddy.

He peeled off down the street, around the corner, and cut into the familiar alley. He was hoping to come across somebody who might've seen the dork, but no such luck. The alley was eerily empty, which was usually how Kevin liked it, but definitely not now. On the right, the picket fence that walled off the corner playground whizzed by. He would never see the Ed's somewhere as normal as the playground, he decided. These guys hung around in weird places like the sewers. He kept going. He looked to his left and saw the rooftops of his own house, then Eddy's house.

He stood on his bike seat while it was still cruising, a neat trick he had taught himself in the beginning of summer, to try to catch a peek over Eddy's fence. Sure enough, the dork wasn't there.

The construction site popped up on his right, but there was no wall or fence around it, so he could pretty much see the whole place. He didn't see anybody, of course.

The lane began to curve to the left as he approached the trailer park, which was thankfully completely covered by trees. He still didn't like getting this close to those crazy girls. On the left was Ed's backyard, lumpy, they called him. He glanced through that yard as well. Nothing. If he couldn't find Eddy, Kevin considered, he could try knocking on Ed's door on the way back. Those dorks were always hanging out.

That pretty much left the junkyard. It made sense, and even Kevin liked to hang out there. It was quiet, remote, and there was always a new pile of cool stuff to check out.

He pedaled as hard as he could. The lane was getting rough, as they never paved the path this far out. Mud splashed up on his ankles as he hopped over some potholes and whipped the bike into a hard-right turn through the junkyard entrance.

Ed and Eddy were standing on top of a rusty fridge, throwing rocks at wrecked car windows.

Kevin swung his bike to a skid, then dismounted before the bike fully stopped. Without losing momentum, he stomped toward the Eds through the mud, his anger welling back up.

Eddy looked back and dropped his rock.

"Uh… woah, Kevin—"

"Can it," Kevin barked. "I don't got a lot of time here, man. We gotta talk."

Eddy hopped off the fridge and seemed to shrink a little. Ed kept a blank, neutral face. Kevin figured he was probably thinking about chickens or something.

"What's this about? What's your problem?" Eddy demanded.

"I think my problem is pretty much your problem, dork-face. It's Double D. He told me you met him out in front of my house and gave him an earful."

"Y—yeah? So? What are you, his bodyguard?"

"Somethin' like that," Kevin replied ominously.

Eddy clenched his fist, his fear seeming to turn into stubborn resolve.

"I don't wanna have to fight you, Kev," Eddy warned. "But I will if I gotta."

"I ain't here to beat you up, man," he said. "I'm just here to tell you what it is. You're outta your mind, and it's really messin' up our friend—"

"It's messin' me up too!" Eddy's voice cracked, surprising Kevin into silence. "You don't think I feel bad about what he thinks of me? You don't think I hate gettin' called an idiot, totally bailed on? I miss my FRIEND, Kevin, and you ain't gonna change that, no matter how much you wanna beat me up!"

"I already told you, I ain't here to beat you up!" Kevin said, exasperated. "Look. I don't like you, I never have, I dunno if I ever will. But the Double-Dork still wants to hang out with you for some reason. He feels bad, Eddy. I don't want him to feel that way. I think you guys can patch things up, but you both gotta accept some changes."

"Like what?!" demanded Eddy. "He doesn't wanna run scams anymore—"

"Stop callin' 'em scams, you—" Kevin bit off the insult just in time, and collected himself. "You… just gotta stop callin' 'em that. Double D doesn't want to scam people, yeah, but he still wants to do stuff LIKE that. Just better. He just wants you to let him do his best."

Eddy thought about it for a moment, which made Kevin a little antsy. This was already taking way too much time. Was that a car he heard in the distance?

"Listen," Eddy said. "You're kinda a meathead, but… I hear ya. I get what you're tryin' to do."

"I just want this to stop bugging Double D," Kevin explained.

"I know," he agreed. "You really care about Sockhead. I can tell. I gotta think about all this, but if it doesn't work out…"

Eddy looked at the muddy ground and scratched his arm.

"Look, I just think you'll be a good friend for him," he finally said.

Kevin didn't really know why he liked hearing that so much, but it practically melted him. Despite his best judgement, he took a few cautious steps forward and hugged Eddy.

"Thanks, man," he said. "And thanks for hearing me out. I gotta split."

"Sure," Eddy replied.

Kevin glanced at Ed, who was still on top of the fridge, probably thinking about chickens. He stepped back to his bike, which was on its side in the mud. He'd have to wash that. He pulled the bike out of the mud, swept a leg across the seat and peeled out, back down the lane.

He was filthy. Since when did he start ditching his bike in the mud? He was always careful to use the kickstand, and he only just washed the thing. And now, he realized, his shoes were ruined too. What is this Dork doing to me, he thought? He really hoped beyond all hope that he fixed what was bothering Edd. He almost felt sure that he did.

The familiar neighborhood whizzed by as he left the ally and rounded the corner back home. He felt a giant weight lifted, all of his anger completely gone, and he didn't even have to pound anybody.

He reached his driveway and stopped dead in his tracks. His dad's car was there.

This is gonna be bad, he thought with dread.


	14. Return of the Eds

Double D opened his weary eyes, reminded that he had been sleeping for most of the day in his darkened room. He didn't feel like moving any part of his body. He was warm, his room was quiet, and there was no unnecessary drama tethered to his current state. If he were just to lay there, perhaps his troubles would pass him by organically, and everything would be back to normal.

Then the specifics of his problems flooded back into his head. Painfully.

He turned to look at his nightstand, where Kevin had left a bag of cookies before he departed. So nice of him to drop by and cheer me up, Edd thought. He was still surprised to find that Kevin baked things, especially that he admitted to doing it so casually. He didn't much feel like eating, but he greatly enjoyed the bag's presence. It was a nice reminder that somebody cared about his plight.

He tried to think of the future, tried to make himself excited about the prospect of making something special with Kevin again, but he just couldn't find the motivation to conceptualize a new idea. He was devastated by Eddy's revelations, and that's just what he took them for: pure revelations. Fact. Indisputable laws of the cosmos. Double D was not an inventor, not a trend-setting creative force for anyone to follow. Whatever scrap of talent or intelligence he had, he would always lend it to people who could gloss over the minute details and make the world-changing broad strokes. People like Eddy.

He could feel that he was being too cruel to himself, but he also couldn't refute this conclusion of his. Particularly because it was reinforced by his former best friend. That's a hard voice to ignore.

Wincing in shame, he covered his head with the blanket and curled into the tightest ball he could manage. Yes, he thought, he'll just sleep this off.

Then, the doorbell rang.

And it rang again.

"Drat," Edd cursed to himself, as he threw off the blanket and marched into the hall in his pajamas. His parents weren't home, and as devastated as he was, he couldn't fight the long-established protocol of answering the door when his family was out.

He progressed down the stairs, each step feeling like a sheer cliff, and continued to the door. He pulled it open.

"Heya, Sockhead."

Ed and Eddy stood on his stoop, neither making eye contact. Eddy in particular seemed extremely uncomfortable being here. A strong sense of helplessness washed over Double D as he studied his old friends, not sure what the nature of this visit could possibly be after the intensity of the last. Was this some form of formal dismissal, he wondered? Were they going to tell him to stay away? He braced for the worst.

"Can we, uh…" Eddy began in an uncharacteristically hushed tone, as he gestured inside. Double D's guest-host etiquette overtook his speechlessness, and he snapped out of his daze.

"Oh! Of course, Eddy. Ed. Please, right this way."

He guided the pair into his living room, and they followed sheepishly, planting themselves into the most convenient seats. Edd began to rattle off some standard pleasantries.

"I must apologize," he began, more chipper than he actually felt, "for my dress and demeanor at this time. You see, I wasn't expecting company, and I've actually been feeling a bit ill—fear not, however! My affliction is not contagious, and if you'll just give me a few moments—"

"I'm sorry," Eddy interrupted. "I'm here to say, I'm sorry."

"Oh," Double D said, a bit disarmed. "I, um… I appreciate that you said that. I'm—"

"I'm hungry!" Ed shouted, looking very proud of himself. Edd couldn't help but smirk.

"Well, Ed, let me get some snacks together. We haven't all spoken in weeks, and I'm actually very excited to see you both."

"Yeah, sure," Eddy said, seeming a bit deflated.

As Double D was walking to the kitchen, he paused to look back.

"I'm sorry too, Eddy," he said. Then, he continued to the kitchen and prepared a snack platter.

Around an hour later, the three Eds were chatting and laughing just as they always had on their best days. Double D managed not to be upset by Ed, whose laughter sprayed cracker crumbs all over the living room. This reunion was worth any mess in the world.

"So, I heard about that VR thing," Eddy said. "It sounded really cool, actually."

"It was!" Edd responded, trying to tread along the subject carefully. "It involved a lot of learning on my part, and I required much help from Kevin in order to work the peripherals into appealing and ergonomic designs."

Eddy looked down to the floor with a half-hearted smile.

"And," Double D added, "It never would've happened without your idea. I truly couldn't have done all of this myself. I'm…" he clasped his hands together and leaned forward. "I'm sort of learning that everyone has their strengths, and everyone has their flaws. Sometimes, even flaws can become strengths, if they are aimed correctly. For example, my greatest flaw, not being able to take the initiative on new concepts, gives me the opportunity to be extremely attentive to the details of other's. I'm learning, right now, that it's fine to admit that. I didn't appreciate you, Eddy, and I focused on what I perceived as your flaws, and tried to define you by them. That wasn't fair to you, and I apologize. The things I viewed as flaws make you a genius in your own right."

"Idunno about all that," Eddy said, "but I was really mean to you. You got mad because you wanted to help me, and I didn't get that. I think I don't like being wrong."

"Pride is a strength, Eddy," he replied. "The truth is, I still want to help you. It's wonderful how easily ideas populate your mind and instantly come out with the full confidence of a finished product. It inspires me."

Eddy shifted in his seat. "Well, none of my ideas could ever have happened without you around to keep me in check. I'm gonna listen more, Double D, I promise."

Suddenly, a gagging noise came out of Ed. He had, by Double D's estimation, at least two dozen crackers in his mouth, and tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Ed!" Eddy shouted, then clapped him hard on the back. Cracker particles sprayed everywhere.

"I like you guys," Ed finally said.

Double D wiped a layer of wet cracker paste off of his face and smiled through the disgust. His friends were back. It would certainly be a different dynamic, but he was confident that whatever pain had come of this whole ordeal, they would be all the healthier for it. He started getting excited about the future again. Today had been a real rollercoaster, he thought.

"What made you come over, Eddy?" he asked.

Eddy got a little more serious. "Uh, Kevin came to talk to me about it."

A hot feeling swept across Double D's chest, and he started to blush. Kevin fixed this, he wondered? How on Earth had he done that? Something about this news, along with the bag of cookies and the pleasant visit in his darkened bedroom gave Double D an epiphany. He was safe with Kevin. Kevin cared so much about him, and there was no denying that now. He still wasn't sure the extent of that care, but he really felt like kissing that boy right now.

"I'm going to make a phone call, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen," he explained. He rose from his seat and went to the phone in the kitchen and dialed that now-familiar sequence of numbers. His heart fluttered as he longed to hear the voice attributed to them.

"Hello?" he asked, having heard the receiver click. Ed and Eddy peeked through the doorway to the kitchen.

"Oh, Mister—" Edd started to greet, before he was interrupted by an enraged voice. "I see," he continued. "Well, may I please speak to Kevin?"

A torrent of the worst words and phrases assaulted Double D's ears, followed by a most tragic sentence which felt as though it had secured a deadbolt lock over his entire heart.

"I see," he repeated in a dejected voice. "Thank you for your time, sir. Have a nice evening."

He hung up the phone as it filled again with expletives and rage. His hands dropped to his sides. He was shaking, and fighting desperately against some of the most insistent sobs of his life.

"Uh, Double D?" Eddy asked, still from across the room. "What's up?"

Double D turned his saddened face to his friends. "It's Kevin. He's been grounded for the rest of the summer."


	15. Jailbreak

"The whole summer?" Ed asked.

Double D couldn't bring himself to say it again. His face was rested in the palms of his hands. He couldn't stand an entire summer without Kevin, not after all they had been through in the last few weeks. How could this happen?

"Maybe his dad'll let him out on good behavior or something," Eddy offered. He was fiddling with his fingers, averting eye contact with anyone. Double D wondered if he actually cared.

"Impossible, Eddy," he responded sadly. "You didn't hear his father's voice. There was great resolve in it. Whatever happened must have been serious."

"What DID happen, anyway?" Eddy asked. "He was in a hurry when he was talkin' to us, but it didn't really seem that serious."

Then it dawned on Edd. Of course. The lawn. Kevin had told him he needed to finish mowing the grass, and instead, he apparently went off to patch things up with Eddy. Double D sank further into his chair than he thought was possible. This, again, had been all his fault. If he had handled his own drama, Kevin wouldn't have had to step in and save the day. Kevin was grounded because of him, he admitted to himself.

"I think it was yardwork," he finally said.

"Yardwork?!" demanded Eddy. "That's nuts! There's gotta be more going on."

Double D tried to think. Had he been pulling Kevin away from his domestic responsibilities for more than just today? Yes, maybe, he conceded. The VR project was very taxing on free time, and he always found it surprising how often Kevin said he was available on a daily basis. He groaned, and pulled his hat over his eyes. This wasn't making him feel any less responsible.

"I don't know what to do," he cried to his friends.

Eddy furrowed his brow and brought a finger to his chin. Double D knew that look.

"I got an idea, Double D," Eddy finally said.

Edd put up a hand. "No, Eddy. We can't simply pull a classic 'jail break.' Kevin is GROUNDED. No matter what we do, he must return home at SOME point, and any kind of disappearance will be met with harsh consequences—"

"I ain't talkin' about a jail-break, Sockhead," he interrupted. "But we do gotta be sneaky about it."

Double D stopped himself from prematurely criticizing Eddy's plan. They had just been talking about this, after all. Only a short time back together, and they were already on another job. Perhaps, he thought, the most important job yet. He leaned in to listen to Eddy intently.

"Alright," Eddy continued. "If what I'm thinkin' will work, we have to wait until after dark. That gives us time to borrow some supplies from Rolf. I may need to trade some favors."

"Rolf?" Ed asked.

"Yeah," Eddy confirmed. "So, here's the idea…"

~Later~

"Ridiculous," Double D muttered as he fastened the black T-shirt he had wrapped around his face, obscuring his identity. Twigs and branches from Kevin's bushes jabbed him uncomfortably in his sides as he waited next to Ed, who was also clad in black. Even if this wasn't a jail-break scenario, he thought, it certainly felt like one. The sun had been down for four hours, and general sleepiness was beginning to set in.

Finally, Eddy appeared in the street riding Victor, Rolf's prized goat. He was hauling a small cart full of farming supplies, which included some manual lawn mowers, rakes, shears, and other useful materials. The cart rattled gently as it slowed to a stop.

Using a handy flashlight, Edd gave the agreed upon signal that the coast was clear with a series of flashes. Everyone in Kevin's house seemed to be asleep. They would still need to be quiet, however. Upon receiving the signal, Eddy mushed Victor forward into Kevin's yard. Ed and Edd quietly jogged out to meet him on the grass.

"You don't know what I had to do to get this stuff," Eddy hissed. "You owe me, Sockhead."

"That I do, Eddy," Double D agreed in a whisper.

The boys began to unload the cart. Eddy separated three manual lawnmowers from the stack, and handed them all to Ed.

"You know the drill, Lumpy," he whispered.

Ed jerked into an upright salute. Then, he grabbed all three mowers—one in each hand, one in his mouth—and began to push them across the lawn, covering impressive ground in a short amount of time.

Eddy, himself, grabbed a rake and shears. His job was to rake up the leaves around the trees before Ed got to the area with the mower, then touch up the bushes with the shears until they looked relatively neat.

Double D grabbed an extra rake, but Eddy grabbed his wrist.

"That's not your job, Double D," Eddy insisted in a hushed tone. "Stick to the plan."

Double D gulped. Right, he thought. The plan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pink envelope. Inside was a note that he had hand-written to Kevin's father. He was terrified of slipping it under the front door. It was incredibly embarrassing. Neither of the Eds knew what Edd had written in the note, and they didn't have to—he just hoped it would work.

With his anxiety peaked, and the Eds working wonders on the moonlit lawn, Double D timidly stepped his way to Kevin's front door. His heart beat uncontrollably. Was the note too much, he wondered? Maybe just doing the lawn was sufficient to set Kevin free.

No, he quickly asserted to himself. The lawn required explanation.

With heightened resolve, he took a deep breath, blushed, and slid the envelope under the door. Then, he trotted back to his friends, and assisted Eddy with the leaves, trying to distract himself from what he had just done.


	16. Promising Results

Double D woke up the next day with a bit of a headache. He hadn't gotten much sleep due to last night's extremely late escapades. That said, he also couldn't bring himself to sleep in. He had trouble falling asleep in the first place. He couldn't stop thinking about the outcome of his efforts.

He crawled out of bed and stepped over to his bedroom window, which presented him with a familiar view of the row of houses across the street. Only one house mattered to him, of course. It was the one with the perfect front yard.

Eddy's plan was certainly executed as well as it could've been, he thought. Not a single tuft of grass sprouted higher above the rest, no leaf remained on the ground, and not a single branch of a bush looked out of place. The Eds had really come through, and the results were there, plain as day.

Most of the results, anyway.

The one thing he still had no answer to was the note he slipped under the door. Was there even an answer to expect, he wondered? Should he expect an enraged phone call, or perhaps a stern knock at his door? Kevin's father's car sat quietly in its driveway. He feared such confrontation.

The only thing he feared more than confrontation was no response at all.

He would have to be patient, he decided. In matters like this, where all one could do was wait, Edd found it best to start with breakfast.

Stepping heavily with a lot on his mind, Edd descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. He began to think about how helpful Eddy had been last night as he fixed breakfast. Even if the plan failed to yield the intended results, he would still have to think of some significant way to repay his friend. While the project last night had not been as nuanced as their previous experiences, he could tell that Eddy respected the sheer importance of the task at hand. Eddy didn't care about Kevin, Edd knew, but he knew how much it meant to his friend. And for that, Eddy gave the plan his all.

After breakfast, it was time to collect the mail for his parents. He found himself afraid to go outside, however. Who knew If Kevin's father would see him, demand to talk to him, perhaps yell at him? Perhaps, he thought, he could delay getting the mail until he had some time to calm his nerves.

Despite this thought, he opened his front door, and found Kevin sitting on his stoop, wiping down his bike.

"Kevin?" he asked in shock. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Idunno," he said, not looking up. "Half hour. I figured you might need to sleep in, and I needed to clean my bike a little anyway."

Double D stepped outside and took a seat next to his friend on the stoop. He looked down at his shoes and said nothing for a time. He thought of a question, any question, just to break this maddening silence.

"Are you still—"

"What'd you say to my dad?" Kevin interrupted. "He didn't just unground me, Double D. He sent me over to talk to you. He didn't even say what to talk about. And the front yard is all finished. I know you did something."

Edd blushed and squeezed his hands together. "Well, I… Ed, Eddy and I decided to take care of your yardwork. And I… may have left a note."

Now Kevin blushed. "Oh, man. What did you say, dude?"

"Among other things?" Edd began. "That I don't think I can manage a summer without you. I don't… really want to repeat everything I said." He shrunk a little, feeling like he may have made Kevin angry. Please, he begged the cosmos, don't have let me mess this up.

Kevin looked down at the ground and dropped the rag he was using to wipe his bike. There was a long pause that drove Double D mad.

Then, Kevin scooted closer to him.

"You know," Kevin said, "I really thought it was over. I thought I was gonna be stuck at home all summer. I thought about all the stuff I was going to miss out on, stuff like bike rides, playing baseball in the street, whatever. The thing I was most beat up about though, was… that I couldn't hang out with you."

Edd smiled.

"And then, like some light switch, you just fixed it. It didn't even last a day. I don't think you just told my dad that you wanted to hang out with me. I think you said something else, man."

"Well," Double D explained frantically, "I told him I'd be helping you with yardwork for the rest of the summer if need be, so that you wouldn't forget your responsibilities again. I told him I'd make sure you stayed on track, and I wouldn't plan things that made you avoid your chores."

Kevin looked at him with a suspicious face. "Is that all?" he asked.

"Yes," Edd lied.

"Okay, then. Well, thanks. And tell Eddy I said thanks too. Him helping me was about the last thing I expected to ever happen, and he's pretty good at trimming bushes."

"You can thank him yourself," Double D suggested. "I'm heading over there today to discuss the next big project. I was hoping you'd want to be involved, it seems promising. Some sort of virtual rollercoaster machine, far less sophisticated than what we accomplished with the headset, however—"

Kevin grabbed Edd's hand and kissed him right on the lips, turning both of their faces beet red.

"I'm in," Kevin agreed.


End file.
